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Human Rights Commissioner calls for the execution of Troy Davis, planned for this evening in the United States, to be halted

Human Rights Commissioner calls for the execution of Troy Davis, planned for this evening in the United States, to be halted

21.09.2011 - Press release

On Tuesday, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole rejected an appeal for clemency by death-row inmate Troy Davis, in spite of serious doubts concerning his guilt.

In New York, Markus Löning, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy, issued the following statement today (21 September):

“I am shocked to learn that the appeal for clemency by Troy Davis has been rejected. There is still considerable doubt concerning his guilt. An execution is irreversible – a potential miscarriage of justice here cannot be set right again. Therefore I call on the authorities in the state of Georgia and in the United States to prevent the execution scheduled for this evening.The German Federal Government rejects the death penalty for fundamental reasons of legal policy and morality. The number of executions in the United States has continually declined in recent years. Some states have done away with the death penalty completely, as Illinois recently did; others have at least issued a moratorium on executions. We urge the United States to push further in this direction.”

Troy Davis was sentenced to death in 1991 for the 1989 murder of a police officer in Georgia. During the 2010 hearing ordered by the US Supreme Court, considerable doubt concerning his guilt came to light.

Pope Benedict XVI, former US President Carter, and EU High Representative Ashton, among others, have spoken out on behalf of Troy Davis.